Musicology professor Lisa Cooper Vest publishes new book
Lisa Cooper Vest, a professor of Musicology at USC Thornton, recently published her book, “Awangarda: Tradition and Modernity in Postwar Polish Music,” with the University of California Press. The book explores how postwar Polish composers, scholars and political leaders created an avant-garde musical tradition. Vest frames this tradition in contrast to its counterparts in Western… Continue reading Musicology professor Lisa Cooper Vest publishes new book
Nate Sloan quoted in USA Today
Musicology faculty member Nate Sloan was recently quoted in a USA Today article about love songs for every season of the year. Sloan said that “Love is the number one topic of popular music. Every love song has been written, pretty much, and yet there are new emotions to explore. Music is meant to move… Continue reading Nate Sloan quoted in USA Today
Nate Sloan celebrates Beethoven’s 5th Symphony with special Switched on Pop series
Switched on Pop, a podcast hosted by Musicology professor Nate Sloan and songwriter Charlie Hardin, is releasing “The 5th,” a four-part series about Beethoven’s 5th symphony featuring the New York Philharmonic. The series, presented in partnership with Vox Media, will dissect the symphony movement by movement and explore its context, legacy, and meaning. The first… Continue reading Nate Sloan celebrates Beethoven’s 5th Symphony with special Switched on Pop series
Nate Sloan to release new book about mechanics of popular music
Popular music scholar and Musicology faculty member Nate Sloan will release a new book, “How Popular Music Works, and Why It Matters,” on Dec. 13, co-authored with songwriter and podcasting partner Charlie Harding. The pair host the popular podcast “Switched on Pop,” which, like their forthcoming book, makes pop music history accessible and deconstructs the… Continue reading Nate Sloan to release new book about mechanics of popular music
Sean Nye to speak at inaugural lecture “Feuchtwanger and Judaism: History, Imagination, Exile”
Musicology faculty member Sean Nye will speak at “Feuchtwanger and Judaism,” the inaugural event of the lecture series “Exile and Resistance: Refugees and Migrants in Literature, History, and Public Affairs,” on Tuesday, Nov. 12. The event, hosted in the USC Libraries Special Collections, will launch Feuchtwanger and Judaism, the sixth volume of the series Feuchtwanger… Continue reading Sean Nye to speak at inaugural lecture “Feuchtwanger and Judaism: History, Imagination, Exile”
Nate Sloan breaks down sound and structure of Broadway musicals in podcast Switched on Pop
Switched on Pop, a podcast hosted by Musicology faculty member Nate Sloan and songwriter Charlie Harding, recently collaborated with the OFF BOOK podcast to bring listeners a “Switched Off Book” episode. The episode includes a breakdown of the sound and structure of a Broadway show as well as an improvised musical written by Scott, Dana… Continue reading Nate Sloan breaks down sound and structure of Broadway musicals in podcast Switched on Pop
Nate Sloan’s podcast named best in music
USC Thornton Musicology faculty member Nate Sloan’s podcast, Switched on Pop, was named one of the best music podcasts by Go Erie. Sloan cohosts the show, which is produced by Vox Media, with songwriter Charlie Harding. The podcast explains what makes pop songs resonate with audiences and how songs interact with culture. This week, Sloan… Continue reading Nate Sloan’s podcast named best in music
Tim Page quoted in The New York Times
Tim Page, a professor of Musicology at USC Thornton, was quoted in the recent The New York Times article about Zubin Mehta passing the reigns of the Israel Philharmonic to Lahav Shani. Page said that Shani has his work cut out for him, but that the age of the 30-year-old maestro puts him in a position to… Continue reading Tim Page quoted in The New York Times
Malachai Bandy wins two major prizes
USC Thornton Musicology Ph.D. candidate Malachai Bandy recently won two prestigious awards: the Irene Alm Memorial Prize and the Ingolf Dahl Award in Musicology. The Irene Alm Memorial Prize is awarded annually by the Society for Seventeenth-Century Music to the best student presentation or lecture at the society’s spring conference. Established in 1971, the Ingolf… Continue reading Malachai Bandy wins two major prizes
Nate Sloan discusses song length on NPR
USC Thornton Musicology faculty member Nate Sloan was recently interviewed on the NPR series Its Been A Minute with Sam Sanders. Sloan discusses how due to the rise of Spotify and other streaming services, artists have an incentive to keep their songs short. “This new way of consuming music tends to incentivize shorter songs because… Continue reading Nate Sloan discusses song length on NPR